Tipi Wedding somewhere in a field in Hampshire
Courtney & Connors summer 2021 tipi wedding.
The day started with bridal preparations at Forest Farm Barn, near Bishops Waltham. This is a great rental property if you’re getting married in the area. The large open space and floor to ceiling windows allows for brilliant light and the large doors can be opened to create a through draught, ideal in current times.
It’s always nice when the whole family can be involved in the morning preparations, the space here meant they could all get ready in the same place without feeling at all overcrowded.
I arrived at 10am just as Dad was being tasked with ironing…
Preparations continued in the relaxed vibe of the day with other family members arriving and enjoying a champagne breakfast together.
There’s no posing at all during preparations. I am there documenting the morning, capturing real moments as they happen.
There’s usually opportunities for some detail shots of dresses, bridal shoes and other important accessories.
The beautiful oak beams created the perfect hanging place for the dress. Obviously taking extreme care to keep the wedding dress white by avoiding any dust or dirt!
The rafters in the loft room made for a simple backdrop for shoes.
A quick formal photo of the bridal party before heading to the ceremony.
At this point I dashed ahead to St John the Baptist, Greatham, Liss to capture the groom greeting guests as they arrive for the ceremony.
Luckily the wedding cars were a vintage bus and Landrover defender giving me the speed advantage!
Connor opted for his full ceremonial naval uniform.
Here the vicar is telling tales of past weddings and late brides. Fortunately Connor didn’t have to wait long for his bride.
The final moments waiting in the church, remembering back to my own wedding and this for me was definitely the most nerve racking part of the day.
Courtney arrives with her father at St John the Baptist Church, Greatham, Liss
Groom Connor’s first look of his bride.
A very proud father gives his daughters hand whist the mother looks on.
Here comes the ring bearer, love dogs at weddings!
The first kiss. A different angle again, I like to show different angles so you get a good sense for being at the occasion when you view the photos. Whenever I move I try to do so un-noticed, either moving during hymns in church or at points which mean I don’t draw attention to myself. I always remain respectful to the ceremony, the last thing I want is to distract you or your guests.
My camera is always ready to capture these moments. This happened in the blink of an eye and could easily have been missed. It isn’t a photo you’d necessarily hang on your wall but it helps to tell the story of the wedding day. It’s the sign of a good wedding photographer, pre-empting the moments and always being ready to capture them.
With reduced guest numbers the guard of honour was somewhat smaller than they had originally planned but still an impressive sight.
A common occurrence at weddings now is video streaming with family and friends joining online from all over the world.
After the ceremony and confetti throw we ventured over the road to the old church and ruins in Greatham.
Couple photos aren’t posed or forced. These are real moments, the only direction I offer is directing where to go or walk to, the rest is up to you. Couples often wonder how it will feel or think they will feel self conscious but this is rarely the case. Natural photos come surprisingly naturally…!
The reception venue which was a field at a family farm near Waltham Chase. On arrival I took the chance to capture some of the wedding details. A huge amount of effort is put into creating personal details and decorations. These all form part of your wedding story.
At this point I’m floating around looking for photo opportunities, going as best as possible to be un-noticed. But I won’t be hiding or peaking around corners.
Going un-noticed isn’t about not being seen, it’s more about blending in and allowing you and your guests to feel comfortable with me and my camera around.
A pretty epic cheese stack!
She thinks so…
Speeches are usually packed full of emotions and photo opportunities are in abundance. I’m doing my best her to not become a distraction to guests or those speaking.
There were a few tears shed during some heartfelt speeches.
You know there’s going to be some dancing happening pretty soon when the drinks get lined up like this.
Winchester Bar Services doing a great job to keep the drinks flowing…
But before the guest can let loose there is a far more important dance to happen.
The first dance often marks the end of the day for many photographers but to me that seems crazy, I love the fun that follows! The party and dancing are often only just getting started…!
There are so many more moments to be captured after this point. We were blessed with a beautiful sunset and the long grass at the back of the field made for some romantic couple photos.
Again, Im not directing here, Courtney & Connor are doing their thing, enjoying these moments together.
The perfect evening food! Proper wood fired pizza by the guys at Dough and Deer
I can confirm the pizza was delicious.
The party now in full swing as the sun sets on an awesome wedding.
Tipi weddings in fields are so bespoke and personal. The setting helps paint the picture of a perfect wedding but the thing makes a good wedding amazing is the people. It was a real pleasure to be a part of this wedding, Courtney and Connors family and friends were brilliant, I really felt like I was part of their extended family!
